Glycemic Index
There is a wonderful resource that judges the properties of carbohydrates found in the foods that we eat. This resource is called the Glycemic Index. This index rates carbohydrates based on the effect that they have on our blood glucose levels in a number 1-100. Foods on the lower end of the Glycemic Index are the complex carbohydrates that have a slight “spike” on our blood sugar levels (this spike is termed an insulin spike). The foods on the higher end digest more rapidly and have a greater insulin spike.
They measure the GI rating of a food by feeding a group of healthy participants a certain product. Then they measure blood samples and construct a blood sugar response curve for a two hour period. They then use a formula to construct a GI rating for each person. Afterwards, they find the average GI rating and slap on a GI rating for that food.
So how does this help us? For one, if you are a diabetic, you really need to be aware of the GI content of everything that you eat. For the rest of us, we can modify our diet to minimize high GI foods and maximize those on the lower end. Eating foods lower in the GI will help control appetite and delay hunger. Also, a lot of diseases have a strong correlation to a high GI-based diet. So definitely use this important resource when deciding which foods to eat.
Here are some examples of different foods and their Glycemic Index:
- Oats – 50
- Brown Rice – 50
- Pizza – 60
- Spaghetti – 65
- Gatorade – 100
- Apple – 41
- Banana - 51
You should try to aim to have an average of 50-55 for all of the foods during the course of a day. This is not as hard to do as you may imagine, there are plenty of good, tasteful, low GI foods to eat.
So, should you just not eat simple carbs? Not exactly and I’ll tell you why.
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